After Julian
by foal1011606
Summary: What happened after Julian's name was carved out, and he ceased to exist? What did Jenny go through? Is Julian going to come back? Or is this all just an endless cycle of misery? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**I have to warn everyone, this is my first fanfic I've actually ever posted, so I don't exactly know how this all works yet. xD Anyways, enjoy the story! Disclaimer: I do not own The Forbidden Game, this is only a continuation of what could have happened after the last book.**

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It had been 3 years since Julian died. Jenny and her friends graduated high school, and Tom and her had gone to college. Just two months into their second year of college, Tom asked Jenny to marry him. She said yes, of course, after all they'd been through, why wouldn't she? But it wasn't just that, she had loved him, ever since they kissed behind those bushes and gotten detention.

So they got married.

Jenny picked out an elegant dress made of silk and finery. The day she walked down the isle was the best day of her life. "Tom and Jenny Locke", it said on the tags of the many gifts sent to their new apartment. Jenny sighed softly, then smiled a little.

She set the package down, leaving it on the recliner for Tom to open when he got home from work. Jenny grabbed her keys to the new Traverse her mom got her. Before Jenny went through the door, she looked down at her right ring finger. On it was the golden circlet Julian had given her when they played the first game, when he caught her at the dance, and when he had died. _"I am my only master."_ She said. It was a sort of ceremonial thing she always did when leaving the apartment, and Tom didn't mind. He understood. Jenny knew that Julian's death had scarred her somehow, and so did Tom.

Julian had challenged Jenny's wits, only then, at the last game, Jenny realized he'd also strengthened her. He'd given her the will to love stronger than anything and also... to think. About what? Julian obviously.

Jenny knew there was some little, miniscule part, inside her that missed Julian. Craved him. She knew, at the same time, that when Julian died, he teared her apart. Jenny walked through the door, locking it behind her. She walked down two flights of stairs and out into the parking lot, immediately seeing the black Chevy Traverse in a spot about 20 feet to her left. Jenny pushed the 'Unlock' button, and went to the car, climbing in and putting the key in the ignition.

She put on her seatbelt and looked in the mirrors, then, seeing the way was clear, pulled out. Jenny cleared the parking lot in two seconds, since it was very small, and made her way to the highway. She flipped on the truck's stereo, then went to her favorite station. Jenny settled down in her seat and turned on Cruise.

Rain started to ping against her windshield and windows, blurring the road in its watery mess. Jenny turned on the low setting for her wiper blades, then let her mind wander. The memory of Julian's blue eyes came to her mind, swallowing her focus and making her think about him totally. His touch as he kissed her, his soft hair, that voice she'd never hear again... all memories threatened to choke her, but she kept her eyes on the road and held back her tears.

Jenny flipped on the right turn signal suddenly and pulled into an exit, pulling into a town. She drove aimlessly for an hour and finally stopped in a dirt road, away from civilization by a couple miles. This was going to be one of her bad days, she knew. Ever since she and Tom had gotten married, ever since their glorious honeymoon, she'd been having bad days where guilt over Julian dying would overwhelm her and make her sob until she couldn't anymore. Tom didn't know Jenny had these days. No, nobody did.

She rested her head on the steering wheel and cried, letting the salty, warm tears wash down her face in a never-ending stream. "Julian... Julian..." Jenny let the waves of oncoming depression tumble over her and continued mumbling his name. She finally couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed the army knife she kept in the glove compartment. Jenny flipped her wrist up and flicked out the knife, moving her other hand to her light tan wrist and dug somewhat deep with the blade.

Jenny didn't hit the vein, no, she didn't want to die yet. But she did cut deep enough into the skin that it bled like a small stream. The pain was like a sort of release, taking out all of the depression and pain in a river of blood. She sighed and cut again, then again. Until a few good sized cuts were in her wrist. She stopped cutting when the blood ran down her arm and onto her jeans. It stained, darkening the already almost-black fiber of her pants.

Jenny swore and wiped the bloody knife on her pants, flipping it closed and sticking it back in her glove compartment. "Damn it.." She whispered in fury. Pressing her bleeding wrist to her pants, she gritted her teeth and used the other hand to rip off a section of her shirt, tying it as tight as she could around the self-inflicted wound. Sniffling a little, she tightened the knot using her teeth and wiggled her fingers a little, feeling them get tingly at the blood loss.

Though it was not a lot of blood, it still caused a difference in the feeling of Jenny's fingers. She turned up the volume of the radio until it blasted her ears, putting both hands on the steering wheel and taking a deep breath. _"I am my only master." _Jenny repeated to herself. Adjusting the steering wheel height and the rear-view mirror, she pushed down on the gas pedal and drove back onto the road.

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**I know, kind of unexpected, huh? Still, this is only the beginning. Leave a review, tell me what you thought! Thanks! ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Haven't gotten any reviews yet, but that's okay. I'd really appreciate it if you guys would leave a few comments on my work!  
Anyways, enjoy!  
Disclaimer for the whole story: I do not own The Forbidden Game, this is a continuation of the last book in my own views. **

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Soon Jenny made it to the flat she and Tom owned once again, hurrying inside to get proper disinfectants and to clean up. She wiggled out of her dry-blood-covered-pants and used one of her feet to hook under the belt and toss them into the hamper Jenny kept in the bathroom.

Undoing the makeshift-bandages Jenny had tied around her bleeding wrist, she reached into the cabinet above the bathroom sink and brought out a bottle of disinfectant, along with some gauze and a bandage to bind it together. Jenny slipped off her wedding ring and set it on the edge of the sink, running her wrist under the faucet to rinse it out with water.

She got the disinfectant and poured it over her cuts slowly, not wanting to waste any in a non-needed rush. After seeing the disinfectant bubble a little in and around her cuts, she lowered the bottle of disinfectant more to clean the cuts thoroughly. Finally the bubbles went away and Jenny bandaged her wrist with gauze. She stuck the Band-Aid on the edge to make the gauze stay and went into the small living room.

Jenny looked at the recliner that she had set one of the wedding gifts that had arrived on, and her eyes widened in shock.  
The gift was gone.

She looked under the chair, it wasn't there. She looked behind, and around, the chair, it wasn't there.. Jenny's heart was starting to beat fast, pounding against her chest in panic. "Tom? Are you here?" Jenny asked, not too loudly. All she heard in the flat was nothing. Silence. Well, not counting her heart beating in her throat.

Swallowing, Jenny checked the bedroom for Tom. He wasn't there. The only other room that Tom could've been in would be the kitchen, but Jenny had come through there walking into the flat. Nobody was here, but the gift was gone. Even though Jenny knew she was over-reacting, but after the Games, after what had happened in the past, anything could be possible. Even if it was only the wedding gift disappearing off of the recliner.

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**I know, kind of short. xD Sorry. I'll update tomorrow.  
Have an epic day!~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's Chapter three! Please leave a review, don't be silent readers! Enjoy!~**

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Jenny looked at her phone for the time, seeing it was around 5 pm. Okay, now Tom get's out of work around this time. He should be here by now. Taking a couple breaths, she calmed herself and thought.

Tom could have gotten home before she'd gotten back. Maybe the reason he wasn't home and the gift was gone was because he had come back before her and took it with him, looking for her. But he would've left her a note, or maybe texted her, wouldn't he? Thoughts were buzzing through Jenny's head, and she sat down on the recliner in the living room.

Phone in hand, she pressed a few buttons and texted Tom.

To: Tom Locke  
From: Jenny Locke  
5:01PM Tuesday

_Where are you?_

Hitting the 'Send' key, she sent the three worded text to Tom. A knock at the door made Jenny jump up in her seat, and she walked quickly to the door to answer it. Swinging the door open without bothering to look through the peep hole, she sighed in relief at the sight of her familiar friend.

"Hey Sunshine!" Dee said, flashing a bright smile at Jenny. Jenny smiled back and muttered a small, "Hi Dee." in response. She stepped back from the doorway, walking back into the flat, knowing Dee would follow.

Dee plopped onto the small couch sitting in the living room, still smiling. Jenny sat back into the recliner and asked, "So what brings you here?"

"Oh nothin' really, just wanted to visit you and see how things were." After a long silence, Dee smiled a little less and gave Jenny a worried look. "..._is_ everything alright? You seem tense." Dee asked. Jenny smiled half-heartedly at her long-time friend, and shrugged a little.

"I got a late wedding gift in the mail today, and set it down in this recliner. I just went out for a while and when I got back it was gone." She said, keeping her voice as even as she could. "Tom also hasn't come home yet, and while he could just be working overtime, or he could have seen the gift and taken it, looking for me..."

"You're worried." Dee finished for Jenny. She nodded and sighed.

"Since the games ended.. little things like Tom working overtime, or something not being where I put it... it makes me even more worried and stressed out than it should." Dee nodded in understanding. "...and I just can't help but think about what Michael said after the final Game."

Dee took in a sharp breath and shook her head at Jenny. "No, Jenny. Get that out of your mind right now. He's not going to come back. Alright?"

Jenny gave Dee a look that spoke more than she could. Dee got off of the couch and walked the small distance to where Jenny sat and crouched down in front of the chair. She looked at Jenny, her face at equal height. "Sunshine, did you text Tom? Or call him at least?" Dee asked. Jenny nodded, showing her the phone in her hand.

"I had sent Tom a text just before you knocked." Jenny told Dee. "He hasn't responded yet." Dee gave Jenny a small smile, just as the phone vibrated in her hand.

"Looks like he just did." Dee said. Jenny sighed in relief and pressed the button to view the text. Her heart stopped for a second, then she thrust the phone in Dee's face, shaking.

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**So what will the text say? I know, it's going slow, but it'll pick up soon. Promise! Leave a review and have an epic day.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Had a long day, very eventful. Well, here's chapter four, enjoy!**

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Dee's face fell as her eyes scrolled over the words there.

To: Jenny Locke  
From: Tom Locke  
5:32PM Tuesday

_I'm in a door. A door you've been through, but haven't been through.  
A door that must be looked at in the right way. A door in the shadows._

__Jenny swallowed hard, pulling the phone back and hitting the 'reply' button.

To: Tom Locke  
From: Jenny Locke  
5:33PM Tuesday

_Tom? This better be some sick joke. Get over here, Dee's here. She wanted to  
see how we were doing. _

The phone sent the text and Jenny sat back for a moment, her heart pounding even worse than before. She saw Dee take a look at her wrist and open her mouth to speak.

"It's nothing!" Jenny exclaimed before Dee could speak. "I mean, it's just a cut. I.. was making something for dinner earlier and the knife slipped." Dee looked unsatisfied with these words.

"Sunshine.." Dee sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Dee. Okay?"

"Fine." Dee grumbled, flashing a disapproving glance at Jenny. The phone vibrated once again, and Jenny's stomach fluttered with butterflies. She pressed the button to view the text, and read it aloud so Dee could hear what it said.

To: Jenny Locke  
From: Tom Locke  
5:35PM Tuesday

_No joke, Jenny. I'm back. See you soon. _

Jenny gave the phone to Dee and took a deep breath, holding back tears. "He's back, Dee. He's back. You were wrong. Oh God.." The deep breaths weren't doing anything for her, so she put her face in her hands, letting them flood down her cheeks for the second time today. The fear was choking her, but also the relief - though she'd never admit it, not to anyone - as she looked back up at Dee.

Dee stood up off of the couch and tossed the phone onto the floor, bending down in front of Jenny to put her hands on Jenny's shoulders.

"Listen, Jenny. He may be back, but-"

"There are no buts! Dee! He probably has Tom! Oh God.. oh God... oh God.." Jenny sobbed, clenching her fists in her hair and looking down at the floor. Dee pulled Jenny into a hug, patting her back and shushing her.

"You are your only master, Sunshine. Calm down. If he has Tom we'll get him back. I promise." Dee said softly but sternly to Jenny. "Alright?"

"O-okay." Jenny stuttered out, calming herself and taking a couple deep breaths. The tears stopped flowing and she leaned back, out of Dee's hug. Dee took her arms off of Jenny, but kept a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes as she calmed down.

Jenny sniffled and blinked away the final tears that hadn't brimmed over.

"So, now what?" Jenny asked quietly. Dee got a look that made her eyes sparkle in determination, and she took a deep breath herself.

"Now, we get the others and figure out what's going on."

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**I hope you liked this chapter! If you didn't, I'm sorry. ): I didn't really get a chance to review it over, so if there are mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me what they are in a review! Have an epic day! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there again guys! I got my first review today! *cheers* I just wanted to thank mandidawna, for giving me your opinion on my story! \^.^/ I really appreciated your review, and hope others will review as well! And just to clear this a little: the reason Jenny cut herself was because of the grief, she wasn't guilty about marrying Tom; the reason that Jenny's not as excited in the fourth chapter, it's only because she's scared for Tom. Anyways, here's chapter 5!~**

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That would be easier said than done.

Jenny and Dee hopped in Dee's jeep, heading over to Audrey and Michael's. It took a good half an hour, and Jenny squirmed in the passenger seat the whole ride. Looking at the clock, she saw it was around 6, about time for her night course at college. Giving the clock a look, she unbuckled her seat and climbed out just as Dee hit the brake.

She practically ran up to their door and knocked on it a million and a half times before Audrey opened it with a smile.

"Jenny! Long time, no see!" Audrey reached out for Jenny and they hugged. The reunion was brief because Audrey saw the look on Jenny's face. "Something wrong?" She asked when she released her hold on Jenny. Dee climbed out of the truck and went to stand behind Jenny. Audrey smiled again as Dee came into view.

"Hey, Dee." she said, gesturing for the two girls to come inside. Jenny went to the left, into the living room, and saw Michael on the couch with a Coke, watching some TV.

"Jenny! Dee!" Michael exclaimed, smiling at the two as they sat down on the various living room furniture.

"Hey Michael." Jenny said, smiling a little at him. Dee murmured something about caffeine stunting growth, and Michael put down his Coke on the coffee table. Audrey followed after Jenny and Dee, sitting down next to Michael on the couch. They hadn't gotten married yet, but were dating and had moved in together just a few weeks ago. Unpacked boxes still sat in numerous places around the house.

"So, what brings you over?" Audrey asked Jenny, still worried that she hadn't replied to her earlier question. She saw Jenny's face fall and Dee clear her throat.

"He's back, and I think he has Tom." Jenny said, her voice breaking when she said Tom's name. Audrey blinked twice, stiffened her back, and looked at Michael. Michael shifted uncomfortably under Audrey's gaze, opening his mouth to say something.

"Okay, so..." Michael began.

"We're here to help you find Tom." Audrey said, before Michael could continue. Jenny looked down.

"I don't even know where he is." Jenny said to all of them. "...and I don't think we should get Summer or Zach, they've had enough of Julian already." Summer was stronger, as was Zach, since the games, but Jenny was scared for both of their sanity.

"Agreed." Dee said, nodding at Jenny. "Jenny, show Aud and Mikey your phone. The texts." Jenny took her phone out and pressed a couple buttons, getting to the past texts and showing them to Audrey and Michael. Both of their faces froze as they read the words, not unlike Dee's expression when Jenny had shown her earlier.

"What would he have Tom for? Other than to get you to come to you." Jenny's face twisted into an almost sick expression at this question from Michael.

"I'm not sure. I think that would be the only reason, Michael." Jenny replied. Dee must've been thinking things over, because she suddenly looked at Jenny and spoke.

"That first text... that was from the second Game, but that door is long gone." Dee was right, the door painting had burned the _last time Julian had taken Tom. _That had to be significant somehow.

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**That's all for now guys! I wont be able to update over the weekend, going on a road trip! Monday's update will be extra long! Leave a review and tell me what you thought. ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Over the span of the weekend, I got two more reviews! I really appreciated your reviews, guys! So, I promised that today's update would be extra long, yes? Here ya go! Enjoy~**

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"That was the last time he'd taken Tom, but he'd taken Zach with him." Jenny pointed out to the small group. Audrey frowned and tapped a manicured finger against her chin.

"So.. Julian's taken Tom behind a door? Perhaps in the Shadow World?" Michael said. Audrey swallowed and shook her head at the second question, taking her finger off of her chin. Jenny bit her lip and looked at the text messages once again. _I'm in a door. A door you've been through, but haven't been through. __A door that must be looked at in the right way. A door in the shadows. _and then: _No joke, Jenny. I'm back. See you soon._

"He said he'd see me soon." Jenny said. "He's coming to _me, _not the other way around. This isn't another game, or else he would have contacted me about the rules.. wouldn't he?" Before anybody could respond Jenny continued, "Julian's going to do what he hadn't done in the Games. Whether or not I can get Tom, probably."

Dee shook her head at Jenny in tamed anger. "We're not going to let him get you, Sunshine. Even though we barely got through the Games-"

"He's going to get Jenny, there's not a way around it unless we went to the Shadow World again and looked for him ourselves." Audrey said with a grim look on her face. Dee gave her a look that she hadn't used since before the Games, when they were enemies.

"Yeah, but then what? Do you expect us to just wander around the Shadow World, almost like in the last Game, until we find him and Tom? That may have worked the last time, but I sincerely doubt it's going to work again. Julian will most likely just control where we end up in the Shadow World or something, and end up splitting us four apart to get Jenny by herself." Dee said, not letting anybody interrupt her again. "And anyways," Dee continued. "I'm not leaving this girl's side until we get Tom back." Dee went to where Jenny was sitting and bent down, wrapping an ebony arm around her shoulder to make her words obvious.

Michael put an arm on Audrey's shoulders as well and nodded in agreement with Dee. "I hate to take sides, but Dee's right, Aud." Audrey huffed in frustration.

"Alright, then what do you suggest we do?" Audrey asked simply.

Everyone looked at Jenny, who'd been staring into space for the past ten minutes. Jenny flicked her eyes to the group and twisted the circlet on her right ring finger. Jenny took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking her time to give them an answer.

"... we have to figure out where Tom is. That's it." Jenny said, finally. Quickly she said, "If somebody starts to ask _how,_ I can tell you right now that I have no clue." In truth Jenny had three ideas: 1, they could do what Audrey suggested and go to the Shadow World to find Julian, then find Tom by default; 2, Jenny could contact Julian and get clues out of him; or 3, Jenny could contact Julian and strike a deal with him, a deal not unlike what had happened in the first Game, which basically meant that she'd go through idea number 2 and 3 at the same time, ending up with him at some point in the process as repercussion of the deal.

"Can you text him? Julian, I mean." Michael asked, his mind obviously traveling the same route Jenny's was and had been this whole time. Jenny looked down at the phone, she'd set it on the floor after re-reading the text messages. Dee made a sound of protest and raised her hand, alerting the group to look at her and wait to see what she had to say.

"You may not have to! Look... what if Julian still has Tom's phone on him? If you have the right program, and Tom's phone has a tracker of some sort, like a GPS app, you could track him down." Dee said, her eyes sparkling against her dark features in a sort of glee at figuring out a way to find Tom and Julian.

"Do you even know how to do that, Dee?" Audrey asked. Dee shook her head, saying, "I don't know how, but maybe my mother does. She's a computer expert, remember?" The group nodded and Dee took her arm off of Jenny's shoulders. "I can call her and-"

The front door slammed open on what sounded like a gust of wind and made the group jump. Dee immediately moved into a defensive crouch. Footsteps thumped lightly on the wooden floor and came closer to the living room.

Jenny held her breath unconsciously as she waited for the person to come into the room, growing both excited and fearful at the same time. The person who'd come in stopped in the doorway of the living room and flashed a gleaming smile at them.

"Miss me?"

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***le gasp* Is it Tom or Julian?... you may have a strong guess, and you'll find out for sure in the next chapter! I'm really enjoying this story, tell me if you are too in a reviewww!~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, today was crazy. Barely got time to write out this chapter! Dx Good news: I MADE time. ;D  
Obviously half of you think that the surprise guest is Julian.. mayhaps I shouldn't have made it so obvious... but you probably just came for Julian and Jenny, now didn't you? =w= Don't worry, I don't blame you if you did. Anyways!~ Here's chapter 7! Enjoy.**

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Jenny exhaled as a response.

The sight of Julian was a shock to the senses. The blonde white of his hair, those blue eyes, and the way his dark colored jeans and t-shirt hugged him gave Jenny a feeling of both recognition and slight fear. Seeing him brought back the memories of the Games, of her new confidence, and she was disconcerted for a moment of why she was so afraid when he texted her under Tom's name. She stood up from her seat and took a step towards Julian, preparing to speak. Dee immediately jumped in front of her and put a hand back, forcing Jenny to stay in her place.

"Where's Tom?" Dee asked. Julian chuckled darkly and his eyelids dropped a bit to hide those indescribably blue eyes. Dee glared.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, dear Deirdre. Though if Jenny comes with me without a problem, I'll gladly take her to see him." He said, the corners of his mouth tipping up in a wolf-hungry smile. Jenny took in a sharp breath and looked to her right side at the couch where Audrey and Michael sad, just barely turning her head.

Audrey had stood up and Michael still sat on the couch, though literally on the edge of his seat. Michael glanced at Jenny and shook his head a little. 'Don't.' His expression said_._Jenny looked back at Julian around Dee and narrowed her eyes.

"And if she doesn't?" Julian opened his mouth a little to answer. "Again, where's Tom?" Dee asked once more. Julian sighed in a bored tone but kept his smile. He shook his head slightly and looked straight at Jenny, speaking to her.

"Then you simply don't get to see him again. Either way you'll still come with me." He said firmly. Jenny gritted her teeth at the situation and she put a hand on Dee's outstretched arm to push it out of the way.

"I'll come with you, but you have to let me see Tom." Jenny spoke for the first time since he'd shown up in the room, stepping forward. Julian nodded and walked boldly up to her from the doorway. "But," Jenny said, just before he reached her. Julian paused. "You have to promise to me that you'll let me see my friends and family again, and let Tom go." She finished, speaking to Julian as if he had no other choice. Julian's smile disappeared, and instead a look of thoughtfulness encompassed his features.

"Alright." He said, reaching out with his left hand for Jenny's. She complied, grabbing his hand with her right gently. Jenny dared a look back at Dee, Audrey, and Michael.

Dee's eyes were glittering, not with the cunning and knowledge that her eyes had shown in the first Game, but in tears. Audrey was full-out crying, her tears brimming over her eyelids; she wore a look of loss, as if she was at a funeral looking at an open casket that held a loved one. Michael was frozen. He didn't cry, his face had fallen in no expression at all.

Jenny's breath caught and she looked back at Julian without a word. She would not say goodbye.

A circle of darkness took over a small area near Jenny's feet, popping onto the floor and into her view in less than a second. Jenny smelled a faint scent of something that had been burned and she realized it was one of the portal-like things Julian had used in the second Game.

"Come." Julian said, tugging her towards the hole. Hearing that, Jenny stepped into it with Julian and dropped into blackness.

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**..yep... **

**Honestly, I'm both shocked with myself and kind of glad. xD **

**Tell me what you thought about this chapter in a review! Also, I didn't actually get a chance to review this over, so if there are mistakes, include those into the review if you can. Thanks muchly, and have an epic day/night!~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, well most of you guys have been reviewing that you'd like longer chapters, and I'm honestly gonna try to put in an extra effort to make that happen! I apologize that I haven't made them long enough to your liking Dx but I do thank you for the good comments you've been giving me! Well, here's chapter 8! Enjoy!~ (I_ am_ going to warn you, there's a bit of a smoochy-smoochy scene that may or may not be in your best interests to read. Just wanted to warn you! xD)**

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Jenny fell through in Julian's arms, only the sensation of falling giving her a clue that gravity was pulling her down. It was strange that no wind was rushing around them as they fell, but within a few seconds, it came. Jenny squeezed her eyes shut against the wind and leaned into Julian's chest to maintain some heat. The wind was simply freezing, cutting right through the t-shirt and thin pants she wore as it whipped around her.

When Jenny started to get cold enough to where she was all chattering teeth and shivers, she finally felt her shoes make contact with ground. Without Julian there to help her regain her balance, she would've fallen on her butt. He tightened his arms around Jenny and made sure she didn't fall, or even be able to stumble from the close proximity in between them.

"You can open your eyes now, Jenny." Julian said in a sort of purr as he stroked her hair and tucked a strand behind her left ear. Jenny did just that, blinking a couple times and taking her head out of his chest, away from the warmth he gave off.

"A-are we in the Shado-" Jenny started to stutter out, but never finished. Julian nodded once before she could get another word out and leaned down, not hesitating as he kissed her. Everything Jenny had been thinking about - which was close to nothing in the first place - disappeared in a flash.

Her memory had lied. It had lied about everything she remembered about Julian.

His lips against hers, he kissed her like they wouldn't get to kiss again. Jenny's mouth opened slightly in shock, and before she realized it, she was kissing him back. Her mouth grew warm fast. She kissed him back as fully as he was kissing her, giving him everything she'd held back in the Games, the dance, every time he'd kissed her. Jenny felt the relief of seeing Julian alive again rise to the surface- and the love, making her kiss him with a passion that almost scared her, but only encouraged Julian to lengthen the kiss, slipping his tongue in and making Jenny go wild. She reached up with both hands to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her legs felt weak and she felt close to passing out, when Julian finally pulled back and sighed happily. He didn't move far though, staying close enough to where his lips brushed hers.

"I don't think I'll ever forget _that._" Julian said, smiling wide. His cheeks were slightly flushed, but Jenny could feel hers were flaming. She was still trying to catch her breath, and didn't reply... her mind had gone blank anyways. Julian rubbed his hands on her arms, trying to warm them up. "You're freezing, Jenny." He stated. Jenny blinked a couple times and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and trying to concentrate on what he was saying.

"Oh.." She said, still half incapable of processing coherent thought. Julian smiled and waited patiently for a few minutes to let Jenny get her bearings. She felt that half of her was, indeed, practically frozen, and looked down to make sure her legs were still there. They were. She rubbed a leg against the other and shook each foot a little to coax some feeling into them. Leaning on Julian, she bent down and let go of him with one arm, fixing her shoe that had started to come off. Jenny looked up, and half-laughed at herself for having numb feet and a shoe that almost fell off.

"What's so funny?" Julian asked, still smiling. He pressed close again and their foreheads met. Jenny put her arm back on his shoulder and wrapped it around his neck once again. Something was nagging Jenny in the corner of her mind, stopping her from leaning up to kiss him again.

"Nothing.." She said, trying to figure out what was wrong. Did she forget something? Jenny looked at Julian's chest and gave it a confused look. What was she forgetting?! After a couple minutes, she realized he'd said something, and he tipped her chin up to look at him.

"Jenny?" He said.

"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Is something the matter?"

"No.. I mean, well... I can't remember exactly." She admitted. Julian had taken on a worried look and it swept away quickly, replaced with a look of- what? Recognition?... Finally he said, "Ah. You wanted to see Tommy." Jenny mentally slapped herself. Had Julian's kiss really left her almost without memory of Tom, even for a few minutes?

Jenny nodded a little, her eyes flicking to the side to see where they were, she hadn't actually taken note of her surroundings yet. There was- strange... it looked like they'd dropped into Jenny and Tom's flat, right smack in the middle of the kitchen. Jenny leaned out of Julian's grip a little to turn to the side and get a better look at everything, to make sure. Sure enough, there was the door, behind Julian. To her right, was the fridge that sat next to a small group of cabinets, humming quietly, to her left, the counter that went along the wall until it ended to the living room with a small space for a trash can.

"How?..." She said, distracted once again. Julian smiled in the corner of her eye and pulled away, grabbing her hand in his again.

"I'll explain later, but now, you want to see your Tom, yes?" Julian's smile tightened, clearly he wanted to get this over with. Jenny shook herself physically and mentally, nodding and making a mental promise to herself to stop getting distracted. He tugged her hand towards the living room, and Jenny tried to think of what she would do when she caught site of Tom again. Would she hug him? Kiss him? Stare him down until his smile in relief at seeing that Jenny was okay faded and he asked what was going on? The faded photograph feeling that Jenny recognized from the first Game came again, for the first time in forever.

Julian walked with Jenny through the living room, and into the bedroom, opening and closing the door with a couple clicks. Jenny's eyes were immediately drawn to the closet, where a backwards-leaning _X _was carved into the door. Jenny had a flashback, to the first Game.

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**~part from book one of The Forbidden Game series, The Hunter, by L.J. Smith; page 207-208~**

_It was a perfectly ordinary-looking door. Probably leading to a closet. The only strange thing about it was the huge backward-leaning _X _deeply carved into the wood._

_Carved and colored a rusty brown like the stains on the poem._

_The internal movie had started up again, even though Jenny didn't need or want it. The ghostly little girl was standing in surprise in front of the door, swaying from one foot to the other. Obviously temptation was fighting with obedience- and winning. The wind-ruffled hair was shaken back, the tanned legs flashed, two small hands grasped the doorknob- and the ghost disappeared. _

_And then I opened it, Jenny thought. But no image of opening it, or of what had happened after, would come to her mind. She was going to have to find that out for herself. _

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Tom's in there, Jenny thought. Julian had carved in the rune himself, trapping Tom inside of the closet like she had trapped Julian.

She looked at Julian and had a questioning look on her face. For a moment, he was glaring at the closet, then he looked at Jenny and nodded, bearing a strained expression.

"He's in there, Jenny. Free him if you must." Julian narrowed his eyes, mad that Jenny would want to open the closet at all. Jenny hesitantly let go of Julian's hand, looking back one time as she went the short distance to the good-sized closet. Putting a hand on the knob, she counted to three.

_1..._

_2..._

_3..._

Jenny swung open the closet door.

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**Hah, cliffhangers. Even though you know you're getting the next chapter tomorrow, they still leave you glaring at the screen, waiting and waiting for the rest. At least that's what happens to me a lot. xD I hope I did a better job with the length of this chapter, please let me know what you thought once again in a review! Have an epic day/night! ^.^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I had a looong day yesterday, ton's of fourth of July stuff with the fam. Barely got any chance to think about the next chapter. u.u Anyways, here's chapter 9! Enjoy~ (There's a little bit of cursing in here, just to warn ya xP)**

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Jenny's heart skipped a beat.

Then two.

Then a third beat.

Tom was slumped against the wall of the closet, his eyes closed and bent with his knees close to his chest. Tom's hands were red, like he'd beat against the door in fury, then buried his face in his lap when he realized the door was stuck shut. His hair was wildly mussed, his white t-shirt and blue jeans wrinkled. He heard the closet door open and his head raised quickly, his eyes wide open. Tom jumped up so fast that he hit his head against a metal bar that Jenny would hang her's and his clothes on. He winced and rubbed his head with one hand.

"Tom!" She breathed out, jumping into the closet with him - but making sure not to hit her head on the bar - and hugging him tight. She was so glad he was okay. Jenny kissed Tom on the lips and cried happy tears. Tom pulled back, almost as if he couldn't believe it was her, and kissed Jenny back. She felt comforted all at once by the familiar smell of her husband, of Tom's warmth. "Tommy." Jenny repeated, using his nickname instead.

"Thorny," Tom replied, he sighed and embraced her tightly, almost refusing to let her go. "God, I missed you so much. I didn't know what you were going to do: whether or not you'd find me." He continued. Jenny nodded and said nothing, instead kissing him again. Finally she pulled back, breathing hard.

"Tom," Jenny said his name for the third time, preparing to tell Tom _how_ she'd gotten here, her eyes watering with tears she was unwilling to shed. A noise of a clearing throat alerted Tom, and Jenny saw his eyes go to Julian, who was leaning across the room on the bedroom wall. Jenny stiffened unconsciously.

"Jenny.." Tom started, his voice lowering oddly in a sort of anger or repressed emotion. His face was suddenly light red, and he tightened his arms around Jenny protectively, saying, "Why is _he_ here?" His hazel eyes settled on Jenny again, watching her face as it twisted into an unidentifiable expression: something between anger, sickness, sadness, and... love. Whether it was love for him or love for Julian, he couldn't tell.

"I had to... I had to come with him, there was no other way I would've found you." Jenny replied, her voice wavering.

"You came with him.." Julian wasn't going to let them go, not together. Tom should know that, and Jenny watched as he clicked pieces together. "You _didn't... Tell me you didn't._" Tom pleaded Jenny, loosening his grip on Jenny and his eyes widening. Jenny said nothing, only looked down as the tears ran down. It hurt Jenny that she had to leave Tom. She loved him _and_ Julian.

Wasn't there a way that they could get along? Without having to leave either of them? Tom was her _husband_, she couldn't just... leave him..

But she would have to, Jenny knew. That was the deal. Tom knew that too.

"Jenny.." Tom said a final time, looking at her in both shock and silent anger. He narrowed his eyes and gripped her arms hard, saying, "_Why?! _No, don't even answer that." He looked like he was on the verge of tears, which was saying something. "God, Jenny... I'm _not _going to let him have you, you hear me?!"

Jenny opened her mouth to say something, her eyes widening as he let her go suddenly and lunged out of the closet, straight at Julian. For a moment, Julian looked like he was shocked that Tom was coming after him, then quickly slipped to his left and smirked at the loud _thump _that accompanied Tom's running into the wall. Jenny's tears were frozen, blurring her vision as she watched a fight unfold.

Tom recovered surprisingly fast, turning to glare at Julian and waited a few seconds before he lunged once again. This time, when Julian slipped out of Tom's reach, he grabbed Tom's arm and turned a full 360 with Tom in his grip, slamming him down onto the ground within seconds. He stomped down on Tom's stomach, and a whooshing sound of Tom's breath being pushed out suddenly warned Jenny that she had to stop this before it got any further.

Stepping out of the closet, she gathered her voice and wiped away the tears as fast as she could, yelling, "STOP!"

Jenny subconsciously counted a full 10 seconds, and Julian finally looked back up at her from Tom. All at once Julian's face went from a look of malicious glee, to one of simple worry. Tom didn't try to twist Julian's leg, or even get up, when Jenny shouted. Tom simply looked at Jenny with wide eyes.

"Jenny." Julian said her name quietly, taking his foot off of Tom and walking over to Jenny. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently. "I'm sorry, Jenny."

Jenny blinked a couple times in quiet shock at Julian's sudden mood swing. "Julian.." She said, just as quietly.

"GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF OF HER, YOU BASTARD!"

Suddenly Tom came up behind Julian, pulling him into a choke hold and pulling him away from Jenny. Julian's hands went up to his neck, where Tom's arms were wrapped around tightly.

"Oh, please." Was Julian's bored reply. Julian backed up suddenly, walking backwards fast and slamming against the wall. Tom let go quickly, sliding down onto the floor with eyes squeezed shut and a little blood trickling out of his mouth. Tom coughed and opened his eyes slowly. Jenny put a hand to her mouth in plain shock, saying nothing and doing nothing. She was simply in awe and appalled at how strong Julian was.

"Fuck... you..." Tom said, trying to catch his breath and gather what little strength he had left. Julian smiled his infamous wolf-hungry grin and said nothing, turning back to embrace Jenny and comfort her. His grin disappeared when he saw her expression.

"Jenny, are you alright?" He asked. Jenny shook her head and closed her eyes, holding in tears. Julian stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Just.. just let him go. Before you two get into a fight again.. please." Julian nodded and glared at Tom, sending a silent _Get out _through his expression. Tom said nothing, getting up and swiping a hand across his mouth to wipe away the small amount of blood. "Go.." Jenny pleaded.

A regular door appeared on the wall, to the right of where Jenny and Julian stood. Tom shook his head and stood his ground.

"Do as she says, Tom." Julian said, narrowing his eyes. Tom gained a look of confidence and refusal, saying nothing but shaking his head. Julian was getting agitated, just by a minute or two of Tom's denial to leave, Jenny could see in his eyes that he was getting pissed... fast. Tom saw this too and took an almost involuntary step towards the door. "Leave." Julian demanded, loosening his hold on Jenny and taking a step towards Tom.

Julian's planning on scaring Tom out, Jenny thought. If he doesn't leave of his own will, Julian would either do this or... She made her thoughts stop there, she would _not _think of that. Tom looked at Jenny, catching her gaze with his own, and made his decision.

"I'll find a way... I _will_ see you again, Jenny. I promise." He said with a wavering voice. He walked to the door with his head bowed. Tom put his hand on the knob and opened the door, closing his eyes for a moment and then opened them to look back at Jenny. Tom held an overall look of helplessness, as though he was being forced to kill someone in order to save another. His eyes were shining, tears were traveling down his cheeks. Tom whispered something almost too quiet for Jenny to hear, then went through the door.

_"I love you, forever."_

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**Y.Y The feels.. dang... let me know what you thought about this chapter in a review. Hah, got myself in a sad mood now. **


	10. Chapter 10

**I DUNNO WHAT TO DOOOO! D: **

**haha Just kiddin. I got you worried there for a second, didn't I? ;) No worries, I will definitely see this through to the end (though I honestly dont know when that'll be, but that just means extra chapters for you guys, dont it? ^^) Also just wanted to throw out a big THANK YOUUUUUUUU too all of the reviews I've gotten, if I wasn't a tomboy - or close to one anyways - every time I see a review I'd probably giggle and clap excitedly until I passed out from excitement! xD Overstatement, I know. But still, I really appreciate you guys giving me a thumbs up in your comments! I'm also trying my hardest to make these chapters longer so that you guys will have to sit there for like.. five minutes or more with your eyes glued to the screen. Haha, anyways!~ Here's chapter 10 (holy crap o.o already?!) Enjoy~ ^.^**

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Jenny's blood ran through her ears, roaring in the silence. She sniffled and turned away from the door, alone with Julian for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"Jenny.." Julian ran a hand over the tears that had ran over onto her cheeks, caressing them and lifting her hand with his to kiss it gently. "I really do apologize for that, I didn't realize it would hurt you so much." He said, his voice quieting as he waited for some kind of response from Jenny.

"It's alright, Julian. I'm fine." She replied after a minute of silence, her voice firmer than it had been since she laid eyes on Julian alive. And she was... somehow Jenny would be able to cope with losing Tom. With Julian here, it seemed she would be able to forget about any troubles that had come through Jenny's life, even the losses. Jenny blinked a couple times and focused in on his eyes, watching them glow brighter as she tipped her face up and leaned in close...

Electricity seemed to buzz through the kiss, both a fiery passion and a striking shock as their lips met. Jenny let out a soft moan and tangled her hands in his hair, closing her forest-green eyes.

It was a short kiss, but one that left Jenny just as breathless as the longer one Julian had given her when they'd arrived. Julian was the one who pulled away, his eyes darkened with passion. Catching her breath, Jenny gave Julian a genuine smile, the first one she'd ever really given him. Julian smiled his wolfish grin back and lead her into the living room, where they sat on the familiar couch. Jenny had that feeling... an odd feeling she couldn't place. It was the feeling that only came in the end of the first Game, 15 minutes ago, and now... when she didn't have to fight with Julian, or play any Games. A thought struck her about two minutes after they sat down.

"Julian?" She asked. He was running his left hand through her hair, stroking it and leaving an tingly feeling in the pit of Jenny's stomach.

"Hmm?" He replied, pausing to lock eyes with Jenny.

"I was wondering..." Jenny stopped for a moment, then continued with a little hesitation. "I was wondering how exactly you found me, how you even.. well... came back." A somewhat grim expression took over Julian's facial features, unsettling Jenny as he thought of a response.

"Shadow Men have their secrets, Jenny." He said. Jenny wasn't satisfied with this, and waved away his hand as he tried to comb her hair with his fingers once again.

"Tell me. Please." Julian sighed.

"Alright, I'll tell you." He replied, saying nothing else for a bit. Jenny waited patiently for his explanation, twisting a bit to get a better look at him. "I guess I should start at the beginning.. as I told you in the last Game, Shadow Men come into existence through their name or names being carved onto the runestave. The runestave of life." She nodded and motioned for him to continue. He sighed again and smirked a little, playing with Jenny's hair.

"When my name was carved out, I was ultimately pulled out of existence, or life - if you will - and should have not come back. The Elders didn't think anyone would carve me back, so they tucked it away and went on with their business... the thing was, someone _did _bring me back." Julian stopped altogether, his eyelids dropped a bit to veil his incredibly blue eyes. Jenny was about to ask _who had brought him back_, but he put a finger to her lips and stopped her before she could speak. "I don't know who brought me back, only that I owe them. That person must have also erased the Elders for good when they brought me back, that's why they haven't tried any attempt at taking your's or your friends' lives."

"You really don't know the person that brought you back?" Jenny asked, surprised. He nodded and suddenly looked up from Jenny, to the middle of the room.

"Sage." Julian said simply. Jenny looked where he had looked and held back a gasp, staring at the male that stood where nobody had been a second ago.

"Hello, Julian." The person Julian had called Sage replied, smiling. The man looked like he could have been Julian's brother, but with a few differences: Sage had deep green eyes, - almost the same color as Jenny's, but with a hungry glint in them - his cheekbones were a bit higher than Julian's, he had brown hair, and his lower lip was fuller than the top one. Overall, he looked simply stunning. He wore a white, plain, t-shirt and black jeans that had a couple tears near the knees. A simple gold chain clung around his throat.

"What are you here for?"

"Nothing in particular, I just wanted to speak with you." Sage's eyes widened as though he had just noticed Jenny, and his smile deepened, his teeth shining as his lips parted. "But, you have a guest! How could I be so rude?" He bowed to Jenny and stepped closer, holding out his hand. Jenny politely took her hand out of Julian's and gave it to Sage, watching in slight fear as he kissed it gently. "Hello, dear. My name is Sage." She looked at Julian and saw his eyes harden, the blue brightening with an almost electric look.

"Jenny. Nice to meet you." She replied, smiling a little as he let go of her and stepped back. Sage's eyelids drooped in the almost exact same way Julian's did, shaking his hair out of his eyes as he nodded. Julian grasped her hand once again and shifted in his seat.

"Jenny, would you mind... exiting the room for a moment while I speak with Sage?" He asked softly. Jenny gave Sage a look, then Julian. Seeing his expression, she nodded and sat up, giving him a quick kiss before walking into the bedroom down the hall.

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**That's all for now guys! Sorry xD I'm so dang tired, and I always end up posting these waay late. Until tomorrow!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's chapter 11! Enjoy~**

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Curiosity stopped Jenny from actually going to the bedroom, so instead she opened and closed the bedroom door to make it sound like she had left, then - quietly - tip-toed as close to the living room as she dared. Jenny bent down on one knee and flattened herself against the wall to hear better. She caught the tail end of a sentence, Sage's voice ringing out in both a velvet-and-shadow sound, somehow mixed together to make the perfect harmony. It was a voice that Jenny could barely describe.

"...Elders are gone; somebody took them out recently, before you were brought back." He said. Jenny heard the shuffle of feet on carpet and the sound of Sage sitting down onto the couch with Julian.

"I know that," Julian replied, his voice tight and impatient. "But what I _don't know _is who exactly took them out of existence."

"I might have an idea of who." Sage had a hint of a smile in his voice, and Jenny could tell he was smirking.

"You did this?"

"No..." Sage chuckled a little but stopped fast.

"Then _who did?_" Julian was getting an icy edge to his voice that sent Jenny's skin into a mess of goosebumps.

"You."

Jenny froze, her breathing stopped, she was instantly confused and shocked. That wasn't possible, Julian had been... dead, there's _no way that would be possible... _After a minute, she heard Julian take a deep breath as he tried to regain his composure. Jenny did the same, only quieter. Apparently he'd had the same reaction as Jenny did.

"What?..." Julian asked, a minuscule waver in the word. Sage laughed - a soft and low wind chime sound - and Jenny heard a light slapping noise, like he'd slapped Julian's shoulder gently. "You're not serious, Sage."

"Of course I'm not!" Sage was dying of laughter now. Julian growled, a low sound that Jenny backed up slightly in fear from. She sat down on her knees and listened more, keeping herself in place and refusing to back away. She _would _find out what was going on that neither of the Shadow Men wanted her to hear.

"This isn't something to joke about." Julian said.

"I apologize then. You really _can't _take a joke, can you Julian?" No reply. Sage chuckled darkly and patted Julian's shoulder a couple more times. "Alright, alright. I've had my fun, no more jokes."

"Who carved the Elders out, Sage?" Julian asked, the icy edge back. Sage stopped chuckling and sighed.

"I did." He replied with a somewhat serious tone. Jenny shifted somewhat and stood carefully to half-stand, half-sit.

"Were you the one who brought me back then?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I brought you back, should I have to have a reason why?"

"I know you enough, Sage. You want something, and you need me to get it." Julian's elemental voice took on a stony feel, hardening.

"Of course! You know me almost _too _well." Sage was probably smiling, his voice was turning light and carefree- almost the exact opposite of Julian's.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Just a few things." Jenny could definitely hear a hint of mischievousness within the tones of his voice now.

"_What _do you want?" Julian asked again. She pictured Sage and Julian on the couch, Sage's arms spread to his sides on the head rest of the couch and Julian in a stiff position, facing Sage.

"Well, one thing I could have just taken when you weren't around, but the two other things are simple. Complete and utter domination of the Shadow World, or Niflheim- if you will - and you by my side."

"I can help with those two things, I'll be glad to, even. But what's the '_one thing' _you could've taken when I wasn't alive?" Julian asked, his stone tone melting into jagged ice.

"Oh... just that... pet of yours. That... Jenny, was it? I saw how beautiful, no, _pure _her soul was the day you were cut out of existence. I was there, watching... The only thing that stopped me was the idea that I could bring you back and get something else, the Shadow World. Though I do adore how her hair shines in the light.. Her green eyes are simply striking, aren't they?" Sage asked, he was dripping with mischief. Julian grew deathly silent while Jenny was having a mini-mental-breakdown in the hallway. Her breaths were becoming shallow and fast, hissing through her teeth silently. What? _What?! _Jenny's heart was racing, she thrust a hand onto the wall to steady herself as she stood, not caring a bit when it made a small thump. He can't mean it... _Sage couldn't mean it. _The mere thought of another Shadow Man taking Jenny already brought out the worst in her: tears threatened to pour out, her throat choked up.

"Jenny?" Julian's voice cut through the suddenly still air. Crap, she thought. Jenny's eyes widened and she half ran back to the bedroom door, opening it and closing it. On the way she took a deep - yet fast - breath to steady herself.

"Stubbed my toe on something." She replied back, amazed she kept her voice even. Faking a wince, Jenny walked into the living room, smiling innocently at the two Shadow Men. "Something wrong?"

"Ah, the famous Jenny." Sage said, smiling and sitting up from his laid back position on the couch. Julian wasn't sitting as tense as she'd thought, instead he was standing up and looking at Jenny with worry etched across his face. "We were just talking about you." He grinned wildly and stood up next to Julian. Julian gave Sage a look.

"Nothing's wrong," He began, looking back at Jenny. "I-"

"Why don't you stay for the rest of our conversation?" Sage asked suddenly. He walked a few steps to where Jenny stood, turned to face Julian, and draped an arm around her shoulders. Her smile faded a tad bit, turning into a surprised smirk. Sage looked down at Jenny - he stood a good foot above her - and his own smile faded. The only difference was that his eyes were shining wickedly, his mouth quirked in such a way that unsettled Jenny.

"Uh, um.. Okay." She agreed. Jenny cast a glance at Julian that screamed of discomfort, Sage had seen the glance, and a smile adorned his features once more; he was almost glad that Jenny was uncomfortable. "So, what were you talking about?" She asked, swallowing down panic and feigning an indifferent look.

"Like I said, you." Sage purred, leading her to the couch where he had only sat moments before. Jenny saw Julian tense.

"What about me, exactly?" Jenny sat down with Sage, squirming a tad bit under both his stare and his over-friendly touch. He looked at Julian with a thoughtful and almost evil expression.

"How beautiful you are. Like a moth to a light, poor Julian couldn't help but flutter to you." Sage paused, then looked down at Jenny. "Though, little light, you probably attracted more moths than your bargained for." Jenny's eyes widened and she stiffened. Fear choked her, keeping her from replying instantly.

"W-what? What do you mean by that?..." She asked when her voice came back to her again. Julian was looking down at her and Sage now, his face gave off only one emotion: pure, raging, fury. It burned within the depths of his blue eyes, setting them ablaze; it made his cheeks flush faintly. Jenny saw Julian's jaw clench, and she could tell it was right to be afraid. Sage leaned closer to her ear, his breath tickling Jenny's neck and sending goosebumps across her skin.

"You're a smart girl, I'm sure you can figure it out.." He was grinning an almost malicious sneer, causing Jenny to lean away somewhat in silent terror. Sage was scaring the crap out of her.. and he knew that perfectly well.

"Enough, Sage. Jenny, come here." Julian spoke suddenly, motioning for Jenny to stand and join him. She did just that, leaning into Julian as one of his arms snaked gently around her waist. "Sage, you have my answer: I will help you. You did bring me back, and I owe you... but that doesn't mean you may have Jenny. Leave, now. I'll talk with you another time." He said gravely. Sage looked like he wasn't ever going to leave, he was that laid back. Finally, he sighed.

"Alright, Julian." Sage stood and went the couple steps to Jenny, holding out his hand and kissing hers when she held it out, repeating what he'd done to Jenny when he appeared in the first place. "And Jenny, I hope to see you again." He winked at Jenny and disappeared.

Just like that: gone. Sage had been holding Jenny's hand, and leaned up. Winking, he simply dissolved into nothing.

Jenny swallowed hard against the emotions that were churning within her, looking into Julian's eyes. "Is he... was he saying what I thought he was saying?..." She asked, softly.

"Yes. Almost all of the Shadow World has heard about you. How you managed to-" He cleared his throat, hesitating. It was odd, and Jenny gave him a worried look. "How you managed to win the Games. You're quite famous around here, actually." Julian smirked a little and leaned in close to her.

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***ultra loud sigh* Sorry guys, I really didn't mean to keep ya'll waiting for so long on the next chapter. I couldn't get to the computer Dx But yeah, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Only problem is that I didn't get to look this one over maself, so leave a review and lemme know if I made any mistakes! Thanks, seeing those reviews makes my day. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I am SO SORRY I haven't updated in like a week! I'll try to make it up to you with chapter 12! Yes? Yes! :D**

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They kissed for the third time, and Julian spoke no more about the Shadow World. He did, however, lead her to the bedroom, tugging her arm gently. Walking through the door, Jenny's heartbeats were becoming fast, she wasn't sure what he wanted to bring her in _here _for... other than... ya know... that.

As if he was reading her thoughts, Julian grinned and shook his head in a silent 'no'.

"I won't force something like that on you so quickly, Jenny. " He said. It shook Jenny mentally at how caring Julian was. This was that rare, almost human, part of Julian. She sighed in relief.

Julian motioned to the left as they walked in - to the drawers, where Jenny and Tom kept everyday clothes back in the real flat - and pulled her to them, opening one and saying, "I wanted to bring you in here again. I figured you hadn't exactly gone through the contents of these drawers when you waited for Sage and I to bring our conversation to a close." He raised an eyebrow a bit and smiled again, though not very wide. Julian must've known Jenny hadn't gone into the bedroom at all since freeing Tom. "I brought you you're clothes." Jenny smiled a little and saw exactly what he said: her original shirts and tops sat inside of the open drawer. She let go of Julian's hand to look through the other drawers.

Pants, check.

Shorts, check.

Skirts, check.

Jenny could tell what would be in the last drawer, so she didn't bother opening it. Her cheeks suddenly reddened, burning with embarrassment. Julian chuckled behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she turned away from the drawers.

"Don't be embarrassed, Jenny." He said. "Don't be, really. I just think you should know where everything is." ...and they went into the bathroom.

Walking inside, Jenny saw that it had subtle differences than the one at home-_ in the original flat_, she corrected herself mentally. The room was still somewhat small, the toilet and sink resting on the wall to the right when you walked in. There was still the white tiled floor and black rugs in front of the shower floor and the sink. A small bag of what looked like toiletries sat on the corner of the sink, it's contents hidden within, being the only real difference she could spot. This was until Julian bent to open the cabinet below the sink, and the one behind the mirror above the sink.

Inside the one above the sink was a small assortment of pills for headaches and things for stomach troubles. Toothpaste and a bottle of mouthwash took residence within the cabinet as well. Weird, Jenny thought, that Julian would think of these things when even Jenny herself scarcely remembered to buy them at the store. Her eyes lowered as she looked in the cabinet below. Inside that one sat body washes, shampoo's, conditioners... even deodorant, the brand she used and others bunched up against the right side. To Jenny's mild surprise, inside there was also body washes, shampoo's, and all of that for _men. _She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Well, Shadow Men need to show too... she blushed a bit at the thought. Julian must've noticed her expression, because he smirked slyly, gesturing back towards the bedroom after closing the cabinets. They left the room altogether and walked into the living room, then the kitchen.

"Everything's the same as the other flat, at least in this room." He told Jenny, watching as her eyes clouded up a bit with what he thought was remembrance, possibly loss as well. Jenny nodded and gave the fridge a look, walking up to it, opening it and peering inside.

Julian lied. This fridge was much cleaner than the one Jenny and Tom owned. She put a hand to her mouth to hide a small smile and closed it, turning back to Julian.

"You liar." She murmured, poking his chest playfully as she went into the living room. Julian chuckled, his smile growing, and he followed her to the couch. Jenny sighed as they sat down again, questions buzzing around in her head. She was starting to get hungry too, and heard her stomach growl quietly. Pinning one question down, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Julian?" She said.

"Yes?"

"You're not going to let Sage.." She didn't bother to finish, looking up at Julian and locking eyes.

"No, of course not." He replied, his gaze hardened as he ran a finger over Jenny's cheek- gently, like a kitten's paw patting her cheek. Just as soft too. She grimaced.

"What if... he somehow... I don't know. But _what if, Julian?_"

"Sage has no right to take you from me, you're mine." Julian said, his voice firm. The way he said it gave her more confidence than they should have, a core of old-fashion faith in Julian - that she'd never actually felt before - hardening. "I promise, Jenny. I'll keep you safe, forever." Accepting this, she nodded and leaned into Julian, aware of the oddity at not having to fight love or play games growing smaller as she grew more comfortable with him.

They sat for a while, enjoying each other's company and making small talk. Julian listened as Jenny talked about what it had been like in college, for the year and a half she'd been enrolled at least. She told him all about the real world, how she got a job in a daycare and worked with the little kids and babies. Jenny loved the children there, she loved children in general. Jenny expressed how wild and rambunctious they would get when they played with her, climbing over her and pulling each other's hair, ramming toy against toy as their imaginations blossomed.

"...and they'd just play and play and play until nap time. Then the poor kids wouldn't wanna sleep, so we'd have to read them each a book or play some music to get their little eyes to close. It was adorable." She finished, looking at Julian with an uplifted expression. Jenny was desperately trying not to think about Tom, knowing that if she did tears would be spilt. She and Tom had wanted kids, and working at the daycare, Jenny was preparing herself for such a time. She knew she wasn't pregnant, but still... He smiled back at her, almost awkwardly. "Is something wrong?" She asked him. Julian tilted his head a bit and hit smile turned into a light grimace. That was new. Her eyes widened almost unconsciously as she waited for Julian to answer.

"Not really, I just.. don't have anything to say to that." Julian replied, his voice smooth. Jenny saw the way his blue eyes burned in a look he'd given her before, when he was mad she would want to free Tom from the closet, and frowned. Fear crept up her spine at that glance, but she ran a finger along his arm and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, you don't necessarily have to.." She said, watching as his skin rose in light goosebumps. Jenny hid her shock at seeing the reaction to just touching his arm she'd made come from Julian, instead smiling a bit as she looked up from his arm. The burning in his eyes looked more like passion, lust even, instead of the anger Jenny'd mistaken it for. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his, planning on the kiss being short.

But, of course, Julian wasn't having that.

He lifted his arm from her lap, where she'd stroked it, and put his hand behind her head, leaning closer to lengthen the kiss. His tongue lightly traced her bottom lip and sent her into a near frenzy; she was quickly losing control, and he knew it. Both of Jenny's arms locked behind Julian's neck, keeping him there just as much as his arm was keeping her there. Lost in the passion, they kissed for a very, _very_ long time. The kiss turned into many: some white hot and shivery, others simmering and slow. It seemed like the very wiring of her brain was shorting out with each kiss, and with this being a series of kisses, Jenny felt her brain almost fry with the love Julian poured within the contact of their lips.

It wouldn't get far though, Jenny could feel that he was trying to reign in his love, take it as slow as she wanted. Julian cared for her more than she could ever care for herself. He loved her more than his own life, the last Game being proof of that. He would always keep her safe, always protect her. Jenny was Julian's love, she could clearly see it now, as if the shadows and darkness that made up Julian had clouded her sight, making her believe he was always, and always had been, something evil. Julian wasn't that now, though Jenny knew perfectly well that she had only agreed in the end to come with him because he had Tom.

Thinking of Tom made her kiss Julian harder, more passionately, as she tried to push all thoughts of him away and only focus on Julian. Jenny would grieve later, for now she would love. Jenny would love Julian as he loved her.

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**tada! Again, I wanna apologize for not updating in so long. u.u I have no excuses, so if you hate me for it, I don't blame ya.  
****Though I hope you don't hate me Q~Q **

**Julian: Of course they don't hate you.  
****Me: But... I took so long...  
****Jenny: Oh hush. Just get going on the next chapter!  
****Me: Alright! Alright!**

**xD Hope you enjoyed, leave a review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! H****ere's chapter 13!~**

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They pulled away, finally, when Jenny's stomach alerted her once again of her hunger. Grimacing at Julian's amused expression, she leaned back and hesitantly went to the kitchen. Julian followed with cat-quiet steps.

"Anything in particular you're hungry for?" He asked, gesturing towards the cupboards Jenny assumed were stocked with food. She shrugged, temporarily empty-minded at what she'd cook.

"Anything in particular _you're _hungry for, Julian?" She asked back. He smiled wolf-ishly and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling into her neck and sending tingles up her spine.

"I'm only hungry for one thing at the moment, Jenny." Julian said, nipping her neck playfully. With a shocked laugh, Jenny pulled away and reached up to look through the cupboards. Inside, she found all sorts of spices, then in others she found boxes of rices and non-perishables that would last for quite a while. She pulled out a box that was like a "Just add chicken!" boxed dinner, and some supplies from the fridge, preparing her dinner.

About half an hour of standing around, checking things, and talking with Julian, dinner was done, and Jenny dished it up.

Pausing, she turned to Julian and asked, "Um, would you like some? There's plenty." Julian chuckled.

"No thank you, Jenny." He said.

"Oh, well. Okay... I mean, I just wondered because I didn't want to be rude or anything, and I didn't know if you were hungry or not. Speaking of which, do you eat? You've never told me exactly..." She trailed off, realizing she was rambling. Julian just shook his head and kissed her forehead lightly, brushing her hair back with his fingertips.

"I have to go take care of some things, Jenny. I don't like the idea of leaving you alone, especially right now, but will you be alright if I run a quick errand?" Julian asked, a sly smile hanging on his lips. Jenny was suddenly hit with fear, like someone'd punched her stomach and left her breathless. Gathering herself, she nodded and set down the plate with her food on it onto the counter.

"Of course, I will." Jenny replied, her voice firmer than she felt. Julian's blue eyes searched hers, almost as if sensing she felt more afraid than she let on, and nodded. With a last shivery kiss on the lips, he disappeared. Just like Sage had, he dissolved into thin air.

Jenny took a minute to just blink and listen to the deafening silence. Then she felt her knees shake and almost buckle, tears streaming down her face.

You know how, when a loved one dies, at first you just break down into tears? And then after time it hits you in short, yet powerful, bursts? That was what Jenny felt like, only she hadn't given into the tears at first and pushed them down deep inside when Tom'd left. She let herself cry now, now that she was alone, and Julian wasn't here to see. Jenny let herself feel the loss, the grief, everything that she'd hidden from Julian. Everything she'd been trying to hide from herself.

She was fooling herself in thinking that Julian would protect her. She was fooling herself in thinking that she would be okay.  
Jenny would never be okay... not now, probably not ever._ I know it's selfish_, she thought, _but why can't I just have both of them?_ Then her sadness blossomed into a white-hot rage at fate. It was like the slow-burning anger she'd felt in the first Game, only much fiercer. _Why **can't **I have them both?!_ Rational thought was thrown out the window, and Jenny almost thought she saw her vision tinge red as she punched the sturdy wooden dining room table with a frightening amount of strength she didn't know she had.

A loud _Crack! _resonated throughout the silence, and soon Jenny felt a sharp and throbbing pain in her hand. Looking down in shock, she saw her left hand and the table... her brain worked slowly in processing the images in front of her. Finally, she realized that she'd punched the dining room table hard enough to make a dent in the polished wood, a good sized dent, to say the least, and her knuckles were either broken or bruised. Groaning, she tried to shake it off, but every movement made her hand engulf in a sharp pain.

"_Damn it." _She muttered to herself, eyeing her hand again. No blood, just a red hand that would be soon purple with a bruise along the knuckles. Something occurred to her suddenly, and she raised her right hand as well, observing it closely.

Yes, the gauze was still there. The gauze from when she cut herself earlier today, what seemed ages ago. Sighing, she opened the bandage a bit to see how it was doing, and saw the same, ugly, scratches that'd been there when she cleaned it. Now both of her hands were messed up somehow. Great.

Jenny grimaced at the now damaged table and went to the cupboards below the sink. She grabbed a sandwich bag from the container inside, and went to the fridge to fill it with ice. Sitting down at the table where her food still sat, she placed the ice carefully on her hand, eating as the blessed numbness swept away her pain.

She finished up and put her dishes in the sink, walking back into the living room and plopping down onto the couch with the ice still in hand. It was starting to melt, after all, it'd been a good fifteen minutes at least, and it was pooling in the corners of the baggy. Though it was melting, it was still freezing cold. Jenny started to reach for her book she kept on the end table of the couch, and sighed when her right hand fingers met with air.

"Looking for this?" A hand reached down in front of Jenny's eyes, with the book she was looking for. Startled, she nearly whopped her skull against the wall, only saved by the cushiony headrest, and cussed.

"The hell?! You freaking scared the crap out of me! Who the hell do you think you are?" Jenny ranted, glaring at the face that went with the hand and feeling her jaw clench and gaze harden.

"I think, dear Jenny, I'm going to be a very good friend of yours." Sage replied, tossing the book harmlessly next to her with a grin. Jenny jumped a little when the book fell next to her, fear and confusion wracking her brain.

"A friend, huh?" She replied dumbly after a minute. Sage nodded and his green eyes traveled down to her hands. Jenny crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"Oh Jenny, don't look at me like that. I've done nothing wrong to you, why must you look at me with such contempt?" He asked innocently, his voice glazed over like honey: smooth and rich. Momentarily at a loss for words, Jenny simply shook her head at him.

"I just.. nothing." She finally said back. Sage laughed quietly, his grin widening.

"Well - in case you were wondering - I just came by to see how you were doing. Though it's been only.. say, a few hours? I thought I'd check up on you." He said, moving the book aside and sitting down with her. He looked down at her hands again as she scootched to the right as much as she could, and opened his mouth to speak, saying, "Would you like me to help you? With your minor injuries, that is." Jenny's hardened gaze softened a touch and she looked down as well, shrugging slightly.

"I, well... I guess. If you can." Jenny said softly. Nodding, Sage took her hands in his right without hesitation and traced what Jenny thought were lines on top of her hands. As he ran his fingers along her skin, she realized they weren't simply lines, but _runes. _Trying not to panic, she dug in deep within the recesses of her mind and tried to remember the runes she'd learned during the Games.

He traced Uruz on both hands, shocking Jenny. It was the first and most important rune she'd known, meaning to pierce the veil between the worlds. Seeing the shock on her face, he started to murmur as he continued on.

"Uruz: meaning many different things. Strength, vigor, health, and healing, but also to travel between worlds. Piercing the veil. Raidho, like a sharp capital R: journey, riding," He paused, looking up at Jenny with an unusual look. "To get you through this journey. Ingwaz, shaped like a square diamond: Fertility, peace and plenty." Jenny realized he'd stopped after saying the word, Ingwaz, and was simply holding her hands. She felt her hands grow warm, the opposite of the numbing cold the ice had brought on her left hand, and the pain was simply no more. Whether it was from the warmth of his hands, or the runes he'd traced there, Jenny couldn't tell.

Clearing her throat, she pulled away with a nod and looked away.

"Thank you, Sage." She said. Sage smiled, looking like he'd stolen a copy of Julian's wolf-ish grin and placed it on himself.

"Anytime, Jenny." He replied, leaning back onto the couch. "So, when's Julian coming back?" He asked. Jenny shook her head, rubbing her hands together.

"I don't know, actually. Can't you just, I don't know,_ poof_ off to him or something?" She asked, harsher than she meant to. Sage laughed and shrugged.

"I probably could, but I was curious if you knew, little moth." Sage said, smirking.

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's..."

"Hmm?"

"I just.. I just don't like it, okay?" She replied, scowling. Sage laughed again and nodded.

"All right, dear Jenny. I shall stop calling you that, as your wish is my command." He said, half bowing in his seat. For reasons unknown to her, Jenny blurted out, "Why do you do that?" Sage looked at her with widened eyes, almost shocked at the urgency her voice betrayed.

"Why do I do what, Jenny?" Sage asked. Blushing faintly, Jenny scratched her neck absentmindedly with one hand.

"Why do you say things like you're from a long, long time ago, and then turn around and talk like people in this age and time?" Jenny replied, slower.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." He said, his grin Cheshire-cat-wide. Jenny was about to re-phrase her question, when a cold draft hit her and she saw Julian standing calmly in the entrance to the living room.

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**I know, I know. I keep ending it when someone comes back! But you honestly can't blame me, you still get the chapter to read! x3 Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Please be a dear and leave one of those handy little reviews!~ **


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's chapter 14! I'm just going to point out that there is some action in this chapter, also that I didn't really get a chance to review it, I just kept adding to it as I went along. Enjoy!**

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Julian stood leaning against the doorway, his face betraying no emotion. That didn't make Jenny feel too good, especially since Sage's hand was pretty much on her thigh, and he was smiling wildly at Julian.

"Julian! How we missed you so." He exclaimed, spreading his arms wide and putting one behind Jenny's neck, which caused Julian to stiffen. Jenny pretended not to notice and simply nod shyly.

"As I'm sure I missed you, Sage." Julian said. His voice was dry, almost empty, like he was either pissed to where he could only feign disinterest, or he simply was disinterested in Sage. Jenny swallowed.

"Mmm... how was your hunt?" Sage asked, his grin wide and his eyelids drooped. Jenny flicked her eyes back to Julian - she'd been watching Sage for his reply - and saw Julian's stiffness sag. It seemed what Sage had asked struck a chord in him: his shoulders rolled like he was testing out how they felt, his blue eyes were veiled by his eyelashes. His famous wolf-ish grin hung on his lips almost invisibly, only it was more... animal-like in its nature. In that moment, Jenny could see a hint of wolf in Julian.

"It was good." He replied. Jenny's eyebrows raised as she tried to hide the fear his more uplifted expression pushed into her, and she looked back and forth between the two Shadow Men, her gaze wary.

"Hunt?" She asked, amazed her voice didn't break. Julian captured her gaze with his own, trapping her in the electric-like way they shone.

"Yes, Jenny. Hunt." Was all he said. Sage, however, was chuckling, his arm around her shoulders tightening and pulling her closer to him against her will. Jenny grew uneasy, and was quickly becoming even more uncomfortable, but only let out a small sound of protest.

"Julian, are you sure you won't change your mind? On that _one _request?" Sage purred out as he bent to nibble her earlobe. Alarms went off in Jenny, and she stiffened, attempting to push Sage away somewhat. Amused and smiling, he held onto her with ease and pulled her into his lap. Jenny looked at Julian with a shocked expression and stared open-mouthed when she saw him simply standing there with an air of boredom. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"No, I won't change my mind. So, Sage, you can let Jenny go." Julian said. Sage let her go, but kept her in his lap without trying, simply shifting to where Jenny was stuck in his - somewhat - embrace, his legs were wrapped around her to keep her in place.

"There, she's been let go." He said with a laugh. Frustrated, Jenny flicked his arm that now lay on the couch cushion and smiled in childish achievement when he flinched. "Little moth.." Sage warned, ignoring Julian and trapping her in his arms once again.

"Julian!" Jenny blurted out in both annoyance and fear, glaring at Sage as she tried to break free. She looked back at Julian just as he took a step towards her, but he got no further. Sage muttered something under his breath, and a black fur-tipped hyena with bright eyes and an almost bloodthirsty gaze stalked through the wall and in front of Julian, its hackles raised. Her breath caught as she stopped fighting Sage and stared at the rear of the hyena, hoping to whatever great force that was out there that it wouldn't charge Julian. _Like Julian had the Creeper and the Lurker... of course Sage would have a Shadow pet as well, _Jenny thought.

Julian's mouth quirked in an almost unbelieving smirk while he stared down the hyena.

"This is John, John Doe." Sage introduced, laughing. "I can't come up with a good enough name for the fellow, and Chuckles seems a little.. shall we say, stereotypical?" To that, Sage got no reply.

Jenny felt Sage tighten his hold even more, and heard the hyena bark out in a sort of malicious laughter as it inched closer to Julian.

"A hyena, Sage. So much like you in its nature: a true scavenger. Though you may hunt once in a while, you usually just pick at the leftovers." He said, his voice dripping in malice. Julian stood his ground, though, not taking his eyes away from the Shadow hyena in front of him.

"And just like you," Jenny whispered under her breath to Sage. "You laugh a lot for a Shadow Man." She couldn't necessarily help saying it, though it was so obvious. Sage heard this and laughed even more.

"You two are just so... entertaining!" He said, his laughter dying down to a dark chuckle. Julian gave Sage a hard-edged glare that sent goosebumps along Jenny's spine and made her squirm uncomfortably. "I love chatting with you both, I really do." Sage continued. His green eyes met Julian's blue, and while Julian's seemed to spark with fury, Sage's simply looked joyful and light.

"Let her go, Sage." Is all Julian said before taking another step towards them and John Doe the Shadow hyena. The hyena barked out and growled at Julian, arching its back in a clear message: _Back off. _Julian narrowed his eyes and drew up his upper lip in an inhuman snarl, bringing his left arm out and smacking the hyena.

Jenny froze in shock as she saw the hyena's jaw go too much to the left, almost looking like it broke, before it shook its head furiously and jumped at Julian. It blurred like the Shadow being it was, and in the next instant, was on top of him, claws scratching, snarls erupting into the air.

"Fuck!" Julian yelled when the Shadow animal dug its claws into him, tearing his clothes into shreds and breaking skin. Blood started to run from the scratches on his stomach as he brought up his arms and tried to push it away, earning claw marks on them as well.

"Julian!" Jenny screamed out. She started punching and kicking Sage, trying to get him to let go, but he just _wouldn't. _Jenny was frightened beyond comprehension, close to screeching her head off or bursting into tears. Sage simply laughed and said, "All right, Tiglikte. Stop." Watching with humor as the Shadow hyena hopped off of Julian like nothing happened and dissolved into shadows, Sage let out a small yawn and patted Jenny's head. She cringed.

"Now, have you changed your mind, Julian?" He asked. Julian slowly got up off of the floor, clothing hanging on him in misshapen, long, strips of fabric that barely hid his private area and framing the scratches that ran along nearly all the front of him. Julian's hair was wildly mussed, sticking up and tangled in some places. Even with all the imperfect clothes, the wounds, Julian still looked breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, he just looked pissed.

Julian shook his head and laughed darkly at Sage, a perfect copy of his laugh, only icier.

"You son of a bitch. You really thought sending a mere _pet _to scratch me a little was going to make me change my mind? I thought I knew you better than that, Sagittarius." To that, Jenny saw Sage's cheeks flush red and his green eyes turn a deep, dark forest green. Like a rain forest at night.

"Don't call me that, Julian." He picked up Jenny, standing up to face Julian, and spoke words in some different language that Jenny didn't understand.

"Она моя навсегда, aljunnu. Ты никогда не получишь ее обратно." He said.

And everything around Jenny disappeared, only Sage's arms still holding her.

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**Boom. There ya go guys, also, that was - I THINK - Macedonian, if you want to take time to look it up on Google Translate cx **

**Actually, it's supposed to mean: "She's mine forever, aljunnu. You'll never get her back." ...now that I think about it, maybe he's too villainous... eh.**

**Anyways!**

**Mwahahahaaa. *creepy voice:* Leave a reviewww my pretties~ **


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 15~**

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_**Julian's POV~**_

They were gone. And Julian was pissed beyond comprehension.

Sage had taken Jenny, disappearing into thin air, using his and Julian's favorite way of traveling. _Damn him! _Julian was still both surprised and furious at Sage for sending his Shadow Pet to attack him. But now that he'd gone so far as to take Jenny, Julian was more than furious. His rage at Sage was barely penned up, leaking out of him in hot waves.

That son of a bitch will pay, Julian thought, brushing off the torn clothes quickly and muttering a few words to create a black vest and black jeans, adding a pair of leather boots and tracing a rune on himself to heal the wounds he'd acquired. While doing this, he immediately had one thought:

Julian needed a Stave. A Stave of Life.

He knew that_ the_ Stave of Life was in Sage's possession, but almost any Shadow Man could _make_ a less powerful Stave if they knew how. Julian knew how, after all, he'd created his Lurker and Creeper using one. The Lurker and the Creeper, his favorites, which had ultimately disappeared off of the Stave when that stupid human Tommy killed them. That Stave had disintegrated into dust when Julian had been carved out of existence. The lesser Staves, long strips of wood cut directly off a branch of the most sacred - and only living - tree in the Primal World of Ice and Shadows, only worked when the Shadow Man who'd cut it off wrote the name or names of what creature he wanted on the wood in his blood. Sage's name was carved on the original Stave of Life, hidden cleverly among the ever-shifting runes and names on the ancient wood. It struck Julian that his name was also carved there; Sage could simply carve him out again.

"Oh, but of course he still wants Niflheim as his own. He needs me, apparently." Julian muttered to himself. "Or maybe it's just... sporting." He finished, visualizing a rune in the air in front of him - Uruz - and stepped forward, disappearing into the deepest part of the Shadow World.

All around Julian was darkness and ice, flashes of lightning crackling through the air above to light up the world for a moment before plunging it back in darkness. Freezing gusts of wind whipped at him furiously, but he barely payed attention to it, simply walking through the darkness of his home and into a pitch black cave.

Once inside the cave, it seemed as if time stood still: not a thing stirred the air - except for Julian's own breathing - and it smelled faintly of mint, earth, and wood.

"Kenaz," Julian spoke, not bothering to trace the rune, and watched as the torch holders lining the edges of the large cave suddenly lit, the flames dancing inside their metal prisons. He then walked to the right, following a narrow passage that led into an almost secret room, torches lighting themselves just as Julian walked past.

"Kearne." He said, looking at the shadow-cloaked figure standing in front of him. Kearne was an old Shadow Man, nearly a thousand human years, and had shriveled and darkened skin, a tusk growing out of his mouth. His eyes were a blazing brown.

"Julian, what is it you want?" Came Kearne's snappy reply, his voice husky and low.

"The usual." Julian waved him to the side, walking to the farthest part of the room, where a hidden entrance was blocked by a mound of boulders. Moving them aside, Julian heard Kearne's thick chortle as he laughed at Julian.

"You need a Stave, boy?" He asked Julian, still laughing. Julian didn't reply, simply glancing back at Kearne with a bored look, and continued to move away the boulders. "Hah! So you do! What happened to your original one? Hmm?" He asked. Julian froze, staring at the now uncovered hole the only one person would be able to squeeze in, and brushed off his hands, turning around to face Kearne.

"Kearne, how would I know? I was taken out of existence for a solid human year. Just let me be." Julian breathed out, half lying, half telling the truth. And with that, he turned back to the hole and went in, head first, not waiting for Kearne's reply. The air grew chillier and even more still as Julian crawled through the tight space, finally making it to the end and climbing out. The torches continued to light around Julian, both helping him see and warming the air slightly.

In front of him stood a large tree, leaves green and bark a golden, dark brown. It stood in the middle of a surprisingly huge cavern, it's roots both under and reaching out above the ground, as if it wanted to be both under the earth and in the air all at once. Julian sighed and closed his eyes in slight awe for a moment before walking towards the tree.

It's beauty was astounding: the way its leaves ruffled in an unseen wind, how the bark seemed to shimmer in the torch light. It glowed with its own liveliness, whereas the Shadow World's inhabitants were colder than ice, darker than a pitch black cave, and more menacing and cruel than any human fiction could begin to describe.

Not even the oldest Elder knew how or when this tree had come to be, only that it had taken root before time itself, growing in its private cave until the Shadow Men stumbled upon it. Well, the first Shadow Man had stumbled upon it, bringing others into existence with _the _Stave to further his exploration of the world he'd been so rudely thrust into.

The first Stave of Life was made from that tree - taken directly from the long, thick, trunk that had grown thicker over time - and was the only _true _Stave. All secondary Staves taken and made from this tree were less powerful, only brought lesser beings into existence. Shadow Pets, Julian called them. Just thinking about the Stave of Life he'd made, about the two Pets he'd lost to some stupid human, fueled his fire - that was already burning steadily - at Sage.

He let out a guttural sound and stepped towards the tree, reaching up without looking to break off a sturdy branch. Fingertips brushed wood, and he grabbed the branch, snapping it off with little resistance, and bringing it down to his eyes for a good look. The branch was no mere twig, he saw. It was at least three inches in width, a good two and a half feet in length, with a scatter of small, yet bright, green leaves on the tip. Without hurry, Julian plucked off the leaves and dropped them onto the ground almost carelessly.

"This is the Stave in which I was created, so shall it be mine, and mine only." Julian muttered ceremoniously, tracing his name on one side of the branch like a signature with his fingers and bending down for a rock with a sharp tip to hack at the other side of the branch to make it flat. In less than three minutes, he'd professionally made a lesser Stave of Life.

The inside of the branch was a pale white, whereas the true Stave of Life was a darker, aged, wood with pale and glittering runes that shifted and glowed. Julian's Stave was warm in his hands, blank, but with the promise of bringing life into the darkness of this world. He'd crouched down when making the Stave flat, and he straightened up quickly, reaching into his back pocket and consciously creating a pocket knife of his own there. Bringing it out, Julian went into the darkest corner of the cave and started to carve.

After digging in deep with the blade and carving out a single name, Julian waited patiently for his creation to gather into being. He watched from the shadows as a flurry of shadows and mist collected together in front of him furiously, swirling together in a violent, mini, ice tornado before slowly gathering itself up and taking shape. Soon the tornado was a figure, then a solid black being, and finally two glowing gold eyes emerged, and the rest showed up clearly.

A Shadow Animal of four legs: it had all black fur, a heavy tail, two sharp ears, and a perfect black nose that was almost hidden. Thin, white, whiskers sprouted from its "eyebrows" and above its fanged mouth. Julian had created a panther.

"You are to be called Kemnebi: black panther. Humans will call you Stalker." Julian told the panther, as if he was God himself creating the world and telling one being who it was. The panther simply swished its tail and gazed at Julian silently, waiting for an order. "Come." He said, visualizing Uruz in front of him once again and stepped forward, the panther following. The flames in the holders lining the cave blew out by an unseen wind.

As the Shadow Man stepped through his portal, his new Shadow Pet following, a pair of green eyes shone in the darkness of the now empty cave, watching them leave.

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**Well there ya go guys. Chapter 15! Woo! And FORTY REVIEWS?! HOLY CRAP! xD Thanks for all them reviews guys, I really appreciate them. **

**Also, I'm leaving for another road trip tomorrow, won't be back till Thursday. I'll try to work on the stories while I'm gone, though! Haha, have an epic day and leave another one of those reviews for meh. ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Possibly a rated M scene, or just really detailed somethings. Just to warn ya. xD Anyways, thanks for the patience and enjoy.**

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Jenny must've passed out, because the next thing she knew was that she was on a bed. A comfortable one, too. Maybe memory foam or something, because when Jenny tried to get up, there were no springs to help boost her up, and she sank back onto her back with a confused glance at the black ceiling. Wait, where the hell am I? She asked herself, getting off of her back and sitting up on the bed.

The room around her was black, to sum it up. The carpet was an almost black brown, the curtains hanging on the windows were black, even the nightstand and lamp's base were black. It was like a Goth's paradise, with good taste in furniture.

"Hello?" Jenny called out quietly, giving the bedroom a thorough look over. Her eyes shifted to the right a fraction, where there'd only been a heavy shadow a minute ago, and saw Sage step out. Jenny shrieked and banged her head on the headboard. Groaning, she rubbed her head and gave Sage a glare. One which he returned with an amused smile.

"You're awake, finally." He purred out. Jenny swallowed down her fear.

"Where the hell am I?!" She yelled at him, her voice frantic with the fear she was pushing down. Sage licked his lips and his eyes brightened noticeably when he heard Jenny's fear. Her breath caught, and she backed up as much as possible, flattening herself against the headboard of the bed.

"My place." He replied, grinning at her and jumping onto the bed - right in front of her - quickly and gracefully. Jenny let out a small yelp as Sage leaned close to Jenny- too close.

"Get the fuck away from me!" She screeched, pushing at him with both hands.

What should have been a fall for Sage turned into a trap for Jenny: Sage grabbed Jenny's forearms and jerked her to him with an evil grin.

"Dear Jenny, you know I can't do that." He said. She scowled at him and pulled away, receiving a grip of steel on her arms that kept her in place.

"Let me go!" She yelled. Sage made a small sound of protest, letting go of one of her arms and waving a finger in front of her face.

"Now, now. I'm in the mood to have fun. Be a dear and stop yelling for me to let you go." He said with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, his grin widened and his eyes sparkled with an almost evil glimmer. "Though I do like it when you're feisty. It adds a wonderful spice to you- no, no. Little moth, when you're angry, your wings shine."

Sage saying that only made Jenny angry.

"You bastard! Sage, let me go!" She yelled again, struggling in his grip. It seemed that the more she said that, the more he pressed up against her, not loosening his grasp a bit. Jenny's anger was getting the best of her, and she gathered saliva in her mouth, spitting a loogie at Sage and watching with anger-fueled amusement as it hit him on his left cheek. Sage's eyes widened and he used the free hand to wipe it away.

"Such disrespect, Jenny. Though if you want to swap spit, I have a better idea." He said with a seductive voice, and winked at her as she gave him a look. Momentarily at a loss of words, she simply stared at him with an open mouth.

"W-what?" She asked. Her tone was disbelieving, her anger dissolved into a mixed pot of confusion and fear.

"You heard me." He replied, a smile pulling the corners of his lips up.

And then Sage kissed Jenny.

It wasn't like the electrifying, knee-weakening, kisses Julian gave her. Sage's kiss was more possessive and controlling- yet did its job in shocking Jenny. His lips pressed hard against hers, almost taking her in, and then opened, forcing Jenny to do the same as Sage added more to the kiss. Jenny tried to push him away, but he was basically on top of her on the bed, and she couldn't move much at all. Letting out a loud sound of protest, she turned her head sharply to the side, breaking Sage's kiss. Jenny saw - and felt - Sage move down on her suddenly, growling low in her ear and making her freeze up.

Her breath caught, her heart pounded in her throat louder than a drum. Sage's member was pressed hard against Jenny's thigh, and he bent further to nip at her earlobe. Jenny shuddered.

"You shouldn't have done that, Jenny." He told her in a voice mixed with menace and warning.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have done that." She retaliated, whipping her head to the side again and attempting to push him away.

"Oh, Jenny. Stop fighting me." Sage said, sighing. When she didn't, his jaw clenched, Sage's mouth went in a tight line as he kept her in place easily. "Alright, Jenny. I didn't want to have to do this.." He whispered, murmuring a word against her neck and flicking his tongue in the same place in some complicated maneuver. Jenny's limbs stopped moving, she froze in her place, and a gasp came out as Sage leaned back from her and pulled her down onto the bed more. A sly smile took over Sage's face and his mouth went to Jenny's neck again.

She couldn't move. Her arms and legs wouldn't hit Sage like she wanted them to, hell, she couldn't do anything but breathe and blink.

"What did you do to me?" Jenny whispered. Though it came out more like, "wushish you sho oo me?" Sage didn't answer for a moment, and simply kissed along Jenny's neck, grazing his teeth over the sensitive flesh there while Jenny's heart thumped wildly in her chest.

"I cast a binding rune on you, dear Jenny. Really, you wouldn't have been able to stop me from doing anything to you without the rune, but I'm not one to take chances- most of the time." He said, running a finger delicately along Jenny's cheek after leaning back to see her expression. Jenny simply glared at him, her eyes wide yet hardened. Seeing her glare, Sage smiled sweetly at Jenny, leaning close once again. He kissed her cheek softly and moved a fraction of an inch to the left, bringing her lips into the kiss and immediately deepening it. Under influence of the binding rune, she could do nothing to stop him. He could rape her if he wanted and she wouldn't lift a finger in defiance. Oh, _no. _Sage was done kissing Jenny, and instead his fingers went to her shirt, pulling at the hem and lifting it above her head. He then proceeded to toss it across the room and take a long look at Jenny's bra before hooking his fingers in there and pulling it down to see the mounds of flesh hidden here previously.

Jenny's gasp sounded foreign in her ears, and it egged Sage on. His mouth was coming down on her when a ripping sound filled the air and Sage was pulled roughly back by a pale hand in his thick, black hair.

"You _bastard. _Stay away from her!" Jenny heard someone yell. That someone had brown hair. Wait, _brown hair?! _

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**_Oh my gosh_ I'm so sorry I haven't edited in so long! And I also apologize for the shorter chapter but I really couldn't pull this chapter together fast enough!  
Again, I'm _so _so so sorry I kept you waiting! $:  
I hope you liked this chapter, I didn't really review it myself though so if there's crap wrong with it please review and I'll work on the next chapter right away! Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Katheryn, I know I took a long time, too long. :$ I'm sorry again for taking to long on the last few chapters! Here's chapter 17~**

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A flash of hair was all Jenny saw before Sage ripped his head away from the hand and Sage straightened up. Jenny couldn't see the body that went with the hair and the oh so familiar voice, but she knew who it was.

Tommy had come to rescue her. Just in time too, she thought. Almost too good a time...

"Oh it's _you." _Sage growled out at him.

"And?" Tom asked with menace dripping from his voice. Sage laughed.

"How'd you find us?" He asked playfully, his knees bending slightly and back dipping as he crouched. Jenny could see Tom's face now, and his expression was almost pained. His lips drawn together in a tight line, it looked like someone was crushing him inside.

"It doesn't matter, just get away from Jenny." Tom ordered Sage, gritting his teeth and shifting into his own football tackle crouch.

"And what if I don't, Tommy? What will you do? Tackle me?" Sage asked gleefully. Tom completely ignored him.

"I promised Jenny I would come back for her, so here I am. Move out of my way and leave." Tom's tone was hard edged and lethal, somehow icier than the last time she'd heard it.

"_You _move." Jenny saw Sage's head tilt slightly, and Tom's whip around to meet gazes with someone completely out of Jenny's plane of vision. A low growl surprised Jenny and she managed to shift slightly before the rune held her in place once again.

"You brought a pet, Julian?" She heard Sage ask, chuckling. Julian said nothing, instead Tom did.

"Who the fuck cares if he brought a pet? Just let Jenny go!" He yelled at Sage, lunging. Sage ducked just as Tom jumped at him, then snatched Tom's leg just before he fell to the ground and slammed him into the ground.

"Stupid human!" Sage growled back, effectively breaking Tom's leg with a crunch in the heavy air. Tom hissed out in pain and stayed down, out of Jenny's view.

"Kemnebi! Attack!" Julian yelled to nowhere before hurriedly jumping to Jenny's side and picking her up- bridal style. "Jenny I'm here." He murmured, looking up from her for a moment only to narrow his impossibly blue eyes. Jenny didn't reply, only listened to the scuffle going on at the other side of the bed. That scuffle was actually a loud series of growls and shouts, from what Jenny assumed was the fight between whatever Julian had brought and Sage. "Let's go, while they're distracted." He said through gritted teeth, then stepped away from the bed just as Jenny spoke.

"But Tom.." She said quickly. Julian froze and looked down at her in his arms, expression unreadable.

"We have to take care of you first, Jenny." He replied before stepping forward once more and blackness consuming them both.

_**Sage's POV~ **_

The stupid pet Julian had brought was on Sage, scratching and growling at him while it attempted to dig its sharp claws in his flesh.

"GET OFF ME!" He yelled, pushing it back with an explosion of force. The panther roared at Sage as he shot up from the floor, eyes flashing. Sage rushed at it suddenly, and the shadow animal's glowing eyes narrowed as if waited for the collision his body would bring against it. Sage's hands instinctively went to the head and neck of the animal, twisting it until a loud crack resonated through the now still air and the panther died, it's claws scratching at him uselessly just as it took its final breaths. He let go of the now limp and lifeless body with mild disgust, turning to glare at the human that had came at the wrong time. "You stupid human." Sage repeated, taking a step towards Tommy's shuddering and terrified figure huddled on the ground.

"I may be stupid but at least I brought back up." He said, giving Sage a glare back just before a pan hit the back of his head.

"What the FUCK?!" Sage yelled, blinking away the barely noticeable spots in front of his eyes and whipping around to face the "back up" Tom had spoken about. His back up turned out to be a wide-eyed pair of Michael and Audrey with a pan and a shovel as weapons. Sage laughed and simply waved a hand at them like he was swatting away a fly. Both of them collapsed, make-shift weapons clattering to the ground as their lifeless bodies fell. "That was back up? Nothing more than a nuisance is what I'd say." He spat out, turning back to Tom. An ebony fist just barely connected with Sage's nose before his own pale hand stopped it. "Of course, Deirdre. I knew there was one more." Sage said before twisting Dee's wrist behind her back and breaking her arm. A sharp cry burst from Dee's lips before she too fell to the floor at Sage's feet.

Still conscious, she tried to grab Sage's ankle and trip him off balance, but only received a quick kick to the face before her eyes snapped shut and her lip bled. She was unconscious, but alive. Sage smirked at Tom as he stepped over Dee's body, gesturing with both hands to the useless back up he'd so stupidly brought. Tom's appalled and shocked face tightened into a grim line and blank eyes.

"That was back up, Tommy?" Sage asked, bending down to crouch next to Tommy. He didn't answer. Sage's hand flashed out and slapped Tom. "Answer me." He snapped. Tom didn't reply again, so Sage gave him a strong fisted punch to the face. He didn't get an answer. Another punch. No reply. Sage was about to start beating the crap out of Tommy before he finally opened his bruised lips to speak.

"Yes. That was back up." Tom finally replied, spitting out a tooth and some blood. Sage looked down at the obviously suffering Tommy and shook his head grimly, smirk still plastered onto his face.

"I cannot believe how much stupidity one person could possibly harbor." Sage said. "I believe now you could say I've seen it all." He finished, both hands expertly going to Tom's neck before twisting his head and listening to the gargling sound Tom made as he died. Sage straightened up and went over to the still-breathing Dee before quickly snapping her neck as well. All of Jenny's back up was dead. All except for Julian.

"The Game's been over from the beginning, Julian. Who's going to win the prize?" He murmured to himself before visualizing Uruz and beginning the chase.

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**Okay, I'm going to stop making promises on when I update because I just know that I keep letting you guys down D: I'm really sorry (can't say that enough times) but I'm so so sooo glad you guys still stick with me when I do update! Please keep the reviews coming, I'm already starting on the next chapter. A hint, the story might be ending soon. Not sure. Anyways I love you all and until the next chapter will we speak!**


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